Cyclists pedal to Paris in aid of kids’ charity

A team of nine cyclists pedalled all the way to Paris to raise money for sick and disabled children.

The group set off from Bexhill on Sunday, March 29, for the four-day trek in aid of Hastings-based Charity for Kids.

The last day involved very challenging hills but all the cyclists were filled with tough grit and determination

Paul Harris, chairman and founder of Charity for Kids

To date the cyclists have raised £7,500.

Paul Harris, chairman and founder of Charity for Kids, said: “The team left Bexhill at 7am just as the rain started to fall, arriving three hours later in Dover. They had a great run across as the wind was behind them all the way. Once the team cycled off the ferry they were greeted with an extremely strong head wind which had gusts of up to 60mph. This made the first day very tough.

“The second day saw the wind drop slightly but was still strong. We cycled 100 miles on to the French town of Beauvais and rested for the night. The next day the team cycled 52 miles into the centre of Paris where they arrived at the Arc de Triomphe, before cycling the remaining 48 miles on to Vernon where we rested for the third and final night. Day four saw us cycle 71 miles to Dieppe. The last day involved very challenging hills but all the cyclists were filled with tough grit and determination. Once we arrived we had time to kill as the ferry was delayed by three hours. In total the team cycled just over 400 miles.

“We would like to thank our sponsors in Croft Glass Home Improvements, Sean’s Swim School for sponsoring the cycle jerseys, Kiley’s Karpets for supplying the support vehicle and support driver Steven Hayward for his time and effort with the team over the last four days. We would also like to thank Steve Millea for all of the planning and logistics for the challenge and finally the cyclists who took part. We are still counting the donations but to date the team has raised £7,500.”

If anyone would like to make a contribution and support the cyclists, donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/Paul-Harris45.

Charity for Kids would like to hear from anyone who would like to make a difference to sick, disabled and terminally ill local children. The charity is currently looking for someone who may have some experience in applying for grants on behalf of Charity for Kids. Visit www.charityforkids.co.uk.